Smoke generator



i Snvento l n 3) M pg.

A A. vAsTOLA SMOKE GENERATOR Filed March 2l, 1949 Jan. 26, 1954 Patented Jan. 26, 1954 SMOKE GENERATOR Anthony Vastola; Bualo, N. Y., assigner to-John. E. SmithsSons Company, BualmN. Y., acorpration of New York Application March 21, 1949,1SeriallNo.82,5611 a claims. (ci. 12e- 595).

This invention relates generally to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for generating smoke used in the smoking of meats.

It has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus of this character which is so designed and constructed as to produce a dense; clean smoke in a minimumV period of; time and aiiord automatic; control over the smoke conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smoke generator which is-simpie and compact in construction, which provides forthe efficient` consumption of dampenedy sawdust to generate` a maximum of humid smoke that penetrates the meat faster, and which is fully and continuously automatic in operation.

A further object is to provide novel means for spraying or wetting the sawdust and for automatically controlling the same to assure a proper wetting of the sawdust and at the same time prevent over-wetting it so as not to interrupt the .smoking operation.

Other features reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the smoke generating apparatus embodying my invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially in the plane of line 2 2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front view showing the arrangement of the various controls.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings showing the preferred embodiment of my invention, I indicates the cylindrical body of the smoke generator having a smoke outlet II in its top for piping the smoke to the individual smokehouses and a door (not shown) in its side for gaining access thereto when desired. Disposed in the lower portion of this body in concentric relation thereto is a burner assembly consisting or" a grate l2, which may be of the rotatable type, and a retort i3 for receiving the sawdust to be burned for creating the smoke. An air line I4 is connected to a chamber I5 formed in the retort and the outer wall of this chamber has air blast holes IE therein for delivering air for combustion to the sawdust charge on the grate. A forced draft is also admitted to the upper portion of the generator body through a pipe I 'I for forcing the generated smoke through the smoke outlet.

The sawdust is delivered to the burner from a suitable hopper I8 which is charged from time to time with sawdust andxdischarged therefrom by;

ascrev/ conveyor I9 intoY the retort1 IAS.rv A fan-2li.

smoke to the individual smoke rooms being served.-

Suitable shutters 2i. are provided at the. outlet.

side of the fan for adjusting theair discharged..

therefrom to the respective pipesv Id and I'l.r`

For the purpose of rendering the apparatusI fully automatic in operation after igniting thel` sawdust burner and generating anA abundance of dense, humid smoke, I provide a cycling control which functions at predetermined time or temperature periods to deliver a spray of water onto the burner to minimize the ame and promote the creation of smoke and at the same time prevent a surplus of water being so sprayed which would cause an interruption in the smoking operation. To this end, I provide a spray head or nozzle 22 disposed substantially axially over the grate I2 and connected to a water supply pipe 23 having a solenoid control valve 24 interposed therein exteriorly of the smoke generator for automatically governing the ow of water to the spray head. Also interposed in the water supply line in advance of this solenoid valve is a manual shut-oil valve 25 and a strainer unit 26, while beyond the solenoid valve there is provided a pressure reducing valve 2 and a pressure gauge 28. Rising from the water supply pipe within the body of the smoke generator is a branch pipe 29 terminating at its upper end in an auxiliary spray nozzle 30 to which some of the water is by-passed onto the bulb 3| of a temperature control switch unit 32 fitted in the side Wall of the generator-body for controlling the solenoid valve 24. A pan or trough 33 is provided to partially enclose the tube and it has drain openings 34 in its bottom. By this construction, when the temperature in the smoke generator reaches a predetermined point the temperature control switch 32 is closed to energize the solenoid valve 24 and cause it to open momentarily and deliver a light conical-like spray of water onto the sawdust in the grate I2 to minimize the iiame and promote the creation of smoke from the burner. Some of this water is by-passed to the auxiliary spray nozzle 30 and played on the bulb 3l to open the circuit of the switch and cause the solenoid valve 24 to close. This cycling control assures a proper wetting of the sawdust and a maximum production of humid smoke from the burner and it is continuously automatic in operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A smoke generating apparatus, comprising a cylindrical body having a sawdust burner in its lower end and a smoke outlet at its upper end, main and auxiliary spray means arranged within said body, said main spray means being disposed for directing a spray of water against said burner, thermo-controlled valve means common to said spray means, respectively, for automatically rendering the same operative and inoperative in response to rising and falling fluctuations of temperature, respectively, within the burner body, said valve means including a thermo-V responsive element disposed within said body and in operative spray-playing relation to said auxiliary spray means.

2. A smoke generating apparatus, comprising a cylindrical body having a sawdust burner in its lower end and a smoke outlet at its upper end, a water supply line connected to said body and having a normally-closed, solenoid valve interposed therein including a thermo-responsive control element disposed within said body for governing the opening and closing of said valve upon rising and falling fluctuations of temperature, respectively, within the burner body, and main and auxiliary spray heads arranged within said body and connected to the water supply line, the main spray head being disposed to direct a spray of water onto said burner and the auxiliary spray head being disposed to direct a spray of water onto said thermo-responsive element.

3. A smoke generating apparatus, comprising a cylindrical body having a sawdust burner in its lower end and a smoke outlet at its upper end, means for supplying the burner with sawdust, means for introducing air for combustion to said burner and an induced draft to the upper portion of said body for directing the generated smoke through its outlet, a main spray means disposed within said body for directing a spray of water onto said burner, an auxiliary spray means in by-passed relation to and rendered operative when said main spray means is in operation, and a thermo-controlled valve common to said spray means, respectively, and including a thermoresponsive control element in the path of the spray of water from said auxiliary spray means. said valve opening and closing in response to rising and falling fluctuations of temperature within the burner body.

v ANTHONY VASTOLA. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 219,232 Desgouttes Sept. 2, 1879 441,078 Upward lNov. 18, 1890 1,236,953 Lewis Aug. 14, 1917 1,444,647 Trout et al Feb. 6, 1923 1,565,463 Johnson Dec. 15, 1925 2,072,364 Gray et al Mar. 2, 1937 2,188,798 Smith Jan. 30, 1940 2,515,455 Lipton July 18, 1950 

